agent: A factor, such as a microorganism, chemical substance, or form of radiation, whose presence, excessive presence, or (in deficiency diseases) relative absence is essential for the occurrence of a disease. age-specific mortality rate: A mortality rate limited to a particular age group. The numerator is the number of deaths in that age group; the denominator is the number of persons in that age group in the population.
Sleeping Pills and Memory Loss. Elderly people have more trouble sleeping than younger folks. Some causes include waking to urinate, pain due to arthritis or other inflammations and lack of exercise. Sleeping pills can help, but they have a dark side. They can cause memory loss.
During the next 15 years, doctors diagnosed 253 cases of dementia. Thirty people (32%) who had taken benzodiazepines or similar drugs developed memory loss and difficulty thinking, compared to 223 people (23%) who had not taken them.eviewed by Louise Chang, MD. Sept. 27, 2012 -- Seniors who take certain kinds of drugs to treat anxiety or insomnia may be more likely to develop dementia than those who do not, a new study shows. Seniors are often prescribed benzodiazepines or similar drugs to help with sleeping problems or anxiety.